Golda v. Hutchinson Enterprises
This Labor Law case involved appeals from an order concerning summary judgment. Plaintiffs initially secured partial summary judgment against Hutchinson Enterprises (Kwik Stop Food Mart) under Labor Law § 240 (1). Hutchinson, after settling with the plaintiffs, appealed the denial of its motion for common-law indemnification from National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation, the employer of the original plaintiff, James Golda. National Fuel cross-appealed, seeking dismissal of the third-party complaint based on recent amendments to Workers’ Compensation Law § 11. The court found that the Supreme Court erred in denying Hutchinson's motion, granting Hutchinson indemnification as its liability was passive. The court also determined that the Workers’ Compensation Law § 11 amendments were not retroactively applicable, thus denying National Fuel's cross-motion. The order was unanimously modified and affirmed with costs to Hutchinson.